In today’s work climate, with fewer employees at a given organization doing as much or more work than a full or bigger staff once did, workers are often struggling to balance heavier workloads than they have in the past.
One person may now have assumed responsibilities that were once shared by two or three. The result is an increased number of workers who rely on completing tasks at home, not just occasionally, but habitually, according to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.
In May 2001, 19.8 million persons usually did some work at home as part of their primary job, the report contends, and these workers, who reported working at home at least once per week, accounted for 15 percent of total employment.
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The focus of this report, a special supplement to the May 2001 Current Population Survey, is the 19.8 million persons who reported in May 2001 that they worked at home at least once per week. The total number of persons who reported that they worked at home in the May 2001 survey – regardless of how often they engaged in home-based work activity – was 25.0 million (19.0 percent of total nonagricultural employment).
This includes, in addition to those who usually worked at home, 2.1 million persons who worked at home at least once every 2 weeks, 1.8 million who worked at home at least once a month, and 1.0 million who worked at home less than once a month. By way of comparison, in May 1997, 22.4 million employed persons did at least some work at home as part of their primary job (17.8 percent of total nonagricultural employment).
State labor laws in Rhode Island decree that employees paid an hourly wage – those of "non-exempt" status – cannot accrue comp time.
"Basically, it’s unlawful, because time can’t be in lieu of wages," said Helen Gage, labor standards examiner at the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.
Stephen Turgeon, vice president of corporate communications for Bank Rhode Island, said that two-thirds of employees are of non-exempt status, meaning they are not eligible for comp time. Among those who are salaried and working expanded hours that spill over into weekends or evenings, how to make up for that time is left to the discretion of the managers of individual departments.
Ironically, what today’s worker needs the most is time, according to Lynda St. Clair, assistant professor of management at Bryant College.
"While that might seem difficult in this belt-tightening mode, it’s probably the most important time to do it," she said.
St. Clair advises employers to be clear about their goals and expectations – so that workers won’t waste time on unnecessary tasks – and to make sure employees have an opportunity to recharge.
"You have to be concerned that people are balancing their lives with their work," she said. "Making employees feel valuable when they are working harder than ever is critical for an organization."
